Bottom tap foundry ladle having tap rod raising and lowering mechanism with laterally adjustable actuating lever



W. W. REE D Jan. 3, 1950 2,493,594 BOTTOM TAP FOUNDRY LADLE HAVING TAP ROD RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING LEVER Filed March 1, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MM U AMQ N QM MN v .lllllllllnlll'lll.

Jan. 3, 1950 w w. REED 2,493,594

BOTTOM TAP FOUNDRY LADLE HAVING TAP ROD RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING LEVER Filed March 1, 1948 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .[7 I I 1 l I I 1 l I I l I v five/2T0?" fsZ y Wffeed Jan. 3, 1950 w, w, REED 2,493,594- BOTTOM TAP FOUNDRY LADLE HAVING TAP ROD RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING LEVER Filed March 1, l948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 ROD RAISING AND LOWERING IVIECHA- NISM WITH LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE ACTUATING LEVER Wesley W. Reed, Hammond, 1nd,, assignor to Whiting Corporation, Harvey, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 1, 1948, Serial No. 12,274

4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to ladies for use in foundries in connection with the introduction or pouring of molten metal into casting forming molds. More particularly the invention relates to that type of foundry ladle which is adapted to be transported from one mold to another by way of an overhead crane or any other similar movable hoisting unit, is known in the art as a bottom tap ladle, and comprises a refractory lined shell with a tap hole in the bottom thereof, a vertically extending tap rod within the shell for controlling the flow of molten metal through the tap hole into the subjacent mold and mechanism at the side of the shell for raising the tap rod into an up position wherein its lower end is disposed above the tap hole and uncovers such hole for the flow of metal therethrough, and for lowering the tap rod into a down position wherein the lower end of the tap rod fits within and serves to close the tap hole in the bottom of the shell.

It has heretofore been proposed to utilize or employ in a foundry ladle of this type tap rod raising and lowering mechanism which is actuated manually and embodies a handle variety lever that is mounted to swing vertically only. In practice it has been found that a ladle embodying such tap rod raising and lowering mechanism is subject to certain objections. In the first place the lever, because it is capable of swinging only in a fixed vertical plane with respect to the shell, is often so inaccessibly positioned in connection with a metal pouring operation that the ladle operator has difiiculty in actuating the mechanism. Secondly, the handle variety lever, especially when positioned radially with respect to the shell interferes with proper positioning of the ladle with respect to a subjacent mold and also transportation of the ladle by the overhead crane or other hoisting unit which is employed to move the ladle from place to place in the foundry.

One object of the invention is to provide a bottom tap foundry ladle which is an improvement upon, and eliminates the disadvantages of, previously designed ladies of the same general type and is characterized by the fact that the handle variety lever for manually actuating the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism is so mounted and operatively connected that it may be swung laterally throughout an arc of substantially 180". By so mounting and operatively connecting the lever the latter may be swung laterally by the operator into the most convenient or advantageous position for actuating the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism. In addition the lever, when the ladle is not in use, may be swung into a position wherein it extends substantially tangentially with respect to the shell and hence cc cupies but a minimum amount of space,

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom tap foundry ladle in which the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism embodies as component parts thereof (1) a vertical shaft which is mounted on the side of the shell for vertically sliding movement only, has its upper end connected to the upper end of the tap rod by a horizontally extending arm and embodies in its central portion a series of equidistantly spaced, teeth-forming. annular grooves, and (,2) a gear sector which meshes with the groove formed teeth on the central portion of the vertically extending and slidable shaft, has one end of the handle variety lever fixedly connected thereto, and is mounted to swing in a vertical plane for shaft and tap rod raising and lowering purposes and also to swing laterally and bodily in anarc, the center of which is the axis of the shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom tap foundry ladle of the last mentioned character in which the shaft constituting part of the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism is slidably mounted at the side of the refractory lined shell by way of a pair of vertically spaced bearings and the gear sector is carried by a sleeve which surrounds, and is rotatable relatively to, the central portion of the shaft and is disposed between the bearings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foundry ladle'of the type and character under consideration in which the sleeve that carries the gear sector is releasably locked in its dilferent or various angular positions with respect to the central portion of the shaft by way of a latch in the form of a pivotally mounted dog on the uppermost bearing and a notched segmentlike plate on the upper end of the sleeve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bottom tap foundry ladle which is generally of new and improved construction, effectively andefficiently fulfills its intended purpose and is characterized by simplicity of design and facility of operation.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present bottom tap type foundry ladle will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, of a bottom tap foundry ladle embodying the invention; 7

Figure 2 is a front view or elevation of the manually actuated mechanism for raising and lowering the tap rod;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section illustrating in detail the construction and design of the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and illustrating the construction and arrangement of the lowermost bearing for the vertically slidable shaft constituting part of the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and showing the construction, design and manner of mounting of the uppermost bearing for the shaft and also the arrangement and design of the latch for releasably locking the sleeve in the various positions into which it is turned or angularly adjusted relatively to the central portion of the shaft; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3 and illustrating in detail the manner in which the gear sector and the handle variety lever are mounted or arranged so that they are capable of being swung laterally about the axis of the shaft as well as vertically for shaft raising and lowering purposes.

The ladle which is shown in the drawings constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention. It is adapted for use in a foundry or like establishment and serves as a medium for introducing molten metal into molds in connection with the formation of castings. An over head crane or other suitablehoisting unit (not shown) is utilized to transport the ladle from place to place in the foundry. The ladle is of the so-called bottom tap type and is adapted when properly positioned over a mold to drain molten metal into the mold. As its components the ladle comprises a shell ID, a tap rod II and manually actuated mechanism [2 for raising and lowering the tap rod. It is contemplated that the ladle will be filled with molten metal from a cupola or other metal melting furnace and then transported by the crane or other hoisting unit into positions wherein it overlies the molds which are to be filled with the metal. a

The shell 10 is of conventional or standard design and consists of a circular bottom wall l3 and an upwardly flared continuous side wall I4. The inner surfaces of the bottom andside walls are lined with refractory material I5. The side wall of the shell is circular in cross section substantially throughout its entire height and has its lower end suitably connected to the marginal portion of the bottom wall I3. The latter and its refractory lining have suitably formed therein a tap hole It. Such hole is upwardly flared as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and is eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis of the shell. The shell side wall is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite, fixedly mounted, externally disposed trunnions I! whereby the 1 the ladle shell ladle as a whole may be connected to the crane or other hoisting unit by way of a bail (also not shown).

The tap rod II is disposed for the most part within the shell It and extends vertically. It serves as a medium for controlling outflow of molten metal through the tap hole [6 into the subjacent mold and is disposed in coaxial relation with the tap hole. The central and lower end portions of the tap rod are surrounded by sleeve-like members 18 of refractory material. The lower end of the lowermost member I8 is hemispherical and is adapted in connection with lowering of the tap rod to fit within and close the upwardly flared tap hole l6.

As hereinafter described the manually actuated mechanism [2 serves to raise the tap rod into an up position wherein its lower end is disposed above the tap hole It and uncovers the hole for the passage or flow of molten metal therethrough and to lower the tap rod into a down position wherein the lower hemispherical shaped end of the lowermost sleeve-like member fits within the tap hole and closes the latter against outflow of metal from the shell. The upper extremity of the tap rod is externally threaded and carries a nut l9. Spaced beneath this nut is a collar 20- which is keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the tap rod. As shown in Figures 1 and 3 the length of the tap rod is such that the upper end thereof projects above the refractory lined shell Ill.

The mechanism l2 for shifting the tap rod between its up and down positions is disposed exteriorly of the shell and comprises a vertical shaft 2!, a horizontal arm 22, a gear sector 23 and a handle variety lever 24. The shaft 2| is disposed directly outwards of that portion of the shell side Wall that is nearest the tap rod, and embodies at its upper end an integral, reduced, longitudinally extending stem 25. The latter has its central and lower end portions tapered upwards and embodies at its upper end portion or extremity an external screw thread on which a nut 26 is mounted. The part of the shaft to which the lower end portion of the stem 25 is joined defines an upwardly facing annular shoulder 21. As hereinafter described the shaft 2| is mounted so that it is free to slide vertically while at the same time it is held against rotation about its axis. The horizontal arm 22 overlies Ill and constitutes a medium whereby the tap rod II and the shaft 21 are connected together for conjoint raising and lowering. Preferably the arm is in the form of a one-piece casting. One end of the arm is provided with an open ended, vertically extending, upwardly tapered socket 28 through which the upwardly tapered and central and lower end portions of the stem 25 extend. The nut 26 bears against the upper surface of said one end of the arm 22 and operates when tightened to clamp the lower surface of said one end of the arm against the upwardly facing shoulder 21 and thus hold the arm 22 in fixed or rigid relation with the shaft 2|. When the nut 26 is loosened the arm 22 may be rotatively adjusted relatively to the shaft 2| in order to assist in properly positioning the tap rod with respect to the tap hole IS. The other or inner end of the arm 22 is shaped to form a fork 29 through which the upper end of the tap rod normally extends. The

nut 19 on the upper extremity of the tap rod overlies the upper surface of the fork and operates when tightened to clamp the fork against the cbllar20. When the nut is is loosened the tap rod may be shifted radially with respect to the shell in order to assist in properly positioning the tap rod with respect to the tap hole I6. The central portion of the arm 22 is provided with an upstanding web 30 and. this is provided with a vertically elongated slot 3| whereby the arm and tap rod may be attached to a crane hook when it is desired to remove them from their normal operative position in connection with replacement of repair of the tap rod. The arm 22 constitutes a cantilever type support for the tap rod. The vertical shaft 2| is mounted for vertical sliding movement by way of an upper bearing 32 and a coaxial lower bearing 33. The two bearings are spaced an appreciable distance apart, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and are secured in fixed relation by way of a flat, vertically extending bar 34. The upper bearing 32 is disposed adjacent the upper margin of the shell side wall it and the lower bearing is disposed adjacent the lower central portion of the side wall of the shell. The upper end of the bar 34 is welded to the inner portion of the upper bearing 32 and the lower end of the bar is welded to the inner portion of the lower bearing 33. A collar 35 on the upper end portion of the shaft 2| coacts with the upper end of the bearing 32 to limit downward sliding movement of the shaft 2| with respect to the ladle shell. A set screw 36 extends through the collar and serves to hold the collar in fixed relation with the shaft while at the same time permitting the collar to be adjusted longitudinally or axially with respect to the shaft. The upper end of the bar 34 is pivotally connected to the upper marginal portion of the shell side wall 14 by way of a horizontally extending pivot bolt 3'! and a bracket 38. The bracket is bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the side wall of the shell and embodies a pair of vertically extending laterally spaced cars 39. The latter project outwards from the bracket and are arranged in straddled relation with the upper end of the bar 34. The pivot bolt 3'! extends through a hole in the upper end of the bar 34 and aligned holes in the cars 39 and permits the assembly consisting of the two bearings 32 and 33 and the bar 34 to be tilted or angularly adjusted about a horizontal axis in connection with proper positioning of the lower end of the tap rod 5 with respect to the tap hole IS. The lower bearing 33 of the aforementioned assembly is adjustably connected to the adjacent portion of the side wall l4 of the ladle shell ill by a connection comprising a bracket, an eyebolt 4|, a nut 42 and a lug 43. The bracket 40 is bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer surface of the shell side wall. It is located beneath the bracket 38 and embodies on its central portion a pair of vertically extending, laterally spaced cars 44. The eyebolt 4| extends substantially horizontally. It projects outwards with respect to the ladle shell and is arranged so that the eye part thereof is disposed between the ears 44. A horizontally extending pivot bolt 45 extends through the eye part of the eyebolt 4| and aligned holes in the outer portions of the ears 44 and permits the pivot bolt to swing upwards and downwards. The shaft part of the eyebolt is externally threaded and carries the nut 42. The latter is provided at its outer end with a pair of diametrically opposite, outwardly projecting fingers 46 for nut turning purposes and embodies in its inner end an annular groove 41. The lug 43 is welded to, and projects radially P shaft 2!.

outwards from, one of the side portions of the lower bearing 33 and has an upwardly opening notch 48 in which the grooved inner end of the nut 42 is seated. When the nut 42 is turned so as to feed inwards the assembly comprising the upper and lower bearings 32 and 33 and the bar 34 is tilted in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 and when the nut is reversely turned so as to feed outwards with respect to the eyebolt the assembly is tilted in a clockwise direction. By turning the nut 42 in one direction or the other the lower end of the tap rod may be adjusted radially outwards or inwards with respect to the axis of the shell in order properly to position the lower end of the tap rod with respect to the tap hole. By sliding the upper end of the tap rod inwards or outwards with respect to the fork 29 upon loosening of the nut l9, swinging the horizontal arm 22 laterally with respect to the vertically slidable shaft 2| upon loosening of the nut 26 and turning in one direction or the other the finger equipped nut 42 the tap rod may be so adjusted or properly positioned that its lower end is in true coaxial relation with the tap hole 16. A vertically extending key 49 serves to hold the shaft 2i against rotation with respect to the bearings 32 and 33 while at the same time it is permitted to slide up and down. This key is fixedly secured within a vertically extending, internally disposed keyway '53 in the lower bearing 33 by way of a screw 5! As best shown in Figure 4, the inner portion of the key fits within an elongated vertically extending keyway 52 in the lower end of the A cup shaped cap 53 serves to house the portion of the shaft 2| that projects below the lower bearing 33. This cap embodies at the upper margin of the side wall thereof an outwardly extending radially extending flange 54 which fits against, and is bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to, the lower end of the bearing 33. The portion of the shaft that is disposed between the two bearings is provided with a longitudinally extending series of equidistantly spaced annular teeth 55. These teeth are the same in diameter as the shaft and are formed by providing the shaft with a series of equidistantly spaced, annular grooves 53.

The gear sector 23 forming one of the component parts of the raising and lowering mechanism for the tap rod II is disposed directly outwards of the teeth equipped portion of the ver tical shaft 2| and is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis by way of a pivot pin 5?. It is arranged so that certain of the teeth thereof are in mesh with certain of the teeth 55 on the shaft and is associated with, and carried by, a sleeve 58 and a box-like housing 59. The sleeve 58 surrounds, and is rotatable with respect to, a portion of the shaft 2| that is disposed between the upper and lower bearings 32 and 33. The upper end of the sleeve abuts against the lower end of the bearing 32 and. the lower end of the sleeve rests on and engages slidably the upper end of the lower bearing 33. The central portion of the sleeve has a vertically extending slot 60 whereby certain of the teeth 55 on the shaft 2| are exposed. The box-like housing 53 is connected to, and projects outwards from, the central portion of the sleeve 58 and consists Of a pair of laterally spaced side walls 5!, a top wall 62 and a bottom wall 63. Preferably such walls are formed of plate metal. The top wall 52 extends between and is welded to the upper margins of the side walls El, and the bottom wall 63 ex-w tends between, and is welded to," the lower margins of the side walls of the housing. The inner side margins of the side walls GI and the inner end margins of the top and bottom walls 62 and 63 are welded to the central portion of the sleeve 58. The interior of the housing 58 is aligned and in communication with the slot 60 in the central portion of the sleeve 58. The gear sector 23 is disposed for the most part within the box-like housing 59 and is arranged in parallel relation with the side walls 6| of the housing. The pivot pin extends loosely through a hole in the center of the gear segment 23 and has the ends thereof fixedly mounted within coaxial holes in the outer central portions of the side walls of the housing 59. The inner portion of the gear sector extends through the slot 60 in the central portion of the sleeve 58. By reason of the fact that the sleeve 58 is rotatably mounted with respect to the shaft 2! the gear segment 23 may be swung laterally throughout an arc of substantially 180 without in any way affecting its operative relation with the teeth equipped por tion of the shaft. When the gear sector is turned or rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, the shaft 2| and the tap rod H are shifted upwards and when the gear sector is rotated in a clockwise direction the shaft and tap rod are caused to be shifted downwards with respect to the ladle shell In.

The handle variety lever 24 constitutes the means whereby the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism l2 may be actuated manually. It is in the form of a stifi or rigid rod and has one end thereof welded to the portion of the gear sector 23 that projects through the open front portion of the box-like housing 59. When the handle is swung downwards it operates to turn the gear sector in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 and results in raising of the tap rod into its up position. Upward swinging of the lever causes the gear sector to rotate in a clockwise direction and results in lowering of the tap rod into its down position wherein, as previously pointed out, it serves to close and seal the tap hole l6. Preferably the handle variety lever v24 is disposed in the same vertical plane as the gear sector 23. Due to the fact that the sleeve 58 and the box-like housing 59 are rotatable about the axis of the shaft 2! the lever 24 may be swung laterally as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6. If desired the lever may be disposed radially with respect to the ladle shell or it may be swung to either side so that it extends substantially tangentially with respect to the shell. Then again, the lever may be positioned in any intermediate angular position to the end that it may be conveniently grasped and manipulated by the operator of the ladle in connection with a metal pouring operation.

In addition to the parts heretofore described the ladle comprises a latch 64 for releasably retaining in any of its angularly adjusted positions the assembly consisting of the sleeve 58, the boxlike housing 59, the gear sector 23 and the handle variety lever 24. This latch consists of a vertically extending latch dog 65 and a coacting arcuate or segmental plate 66. The upper end of the latch dog 65 is disposed between a pair of laterally spaced ears 61 and is pivotally supported to swing inwards and outwards by way of a horizontally extending pivot pin 68. The cars 61 are welded to, and project outwards from, the lower end of the upper bearing 32. The pivot pin 68 extends loosely through a hole in the upper end 8 ofthe latch dog 65 and has its ends fixedly mounted within coaxialholes in the outer ends of the cars 61. The latch plate 66 is disposed in a horizontal plane and overlies the top wall 62 of the box-like housing 59. It is welded to, and projects outwards from, the upper end of the sleeve 58 and embodies on its outer margin an arcuate series of equidistantly spaced notches 69. When the latch dog 65 is swung inwards so that the lower end thereof is disposed in one of the notches 69 it serves to lock the sleeve 58 against rotation with respect to the shaft 2|. When it is desired angularly to adjust the assembly consisting of the sleeve 58, the housing 59, the gear sector 23 and the lever 24 the latch dog 65 is swung outwards so as to disengage it from the plate 66. After outward swinging of the latch dog the assembly is free so that it may be swung laterally into any desired position. As soon as the assembly is disposed in its desired position the latch dog is swung inwards so as to bring its lower end into the adjacent notch 89 and thus lock the assembly in place.

The herein described bottom tap foundry ladle consists of a comparatively small number of parts and hence may be manufactured at a low cost. It effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and is characterized by the fact that the handle variety lever constituting apart of the tap rod raising and lowering mechanism may be swung laterally into difierent angular positions with respect to the ladle shell to the end that it is most advantageously or conveniently disposed for actuation by the ladle operator.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Mechanism designed for use with a bottom tap foundry ladle of the type that embodies a shell with a tap hole in its bottom and an upstanding vertically movable tap rod for controlling the tap hole, adapted to raise and lower the tap rod with respect to the hole, and comprising a vertically extending shaft mounted externally of the shell to slide vertically without rotation about its axis, having the upper end thereof fixedly connected to the upper end of the tap rod, and provided with a longitudinal series of equidistantly spaced arcuate teeth, a gear element mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, having the teeth thereof in mesh with the teeth on the shaft, and supported so that it is capable of swinging bodily and laterally into different angular positions about the axis of the shaft while maintaining its teeth in mesh with the teeth on the shaft, and a handle variety lever connected fixedly to the gear element and adapted to rotate said element about its horizontal axis and also to swing laterally therewith.

2. Mechanism designed for use with a bottom tap foundry ladle of the type that embodies an open top shell with a tap hole in its bottom and an upstanding vertically movable tap rod for controlling the tap hole, adapted to raise and lower the tap rod with respect to the hole, and comprising a pair of vertically spaced apart bearings directly outwards of the side wall of the shell, a vertically extending shaft mounted in the bearings to slide vertically without rotation about its axis, having the upper end thereof fixedly connected to the upper end of the tap rod, and provided between the bearings with a longitudinal series of equidistantly spaced arcuate teeth, a gear element mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, having the teeth thereof in mesh with the teeth on the shaft, and supported so that it is capable of swinging bodily and laterally into different angular positions about the axis of the shaft while maintaining its teeth in mesh with said teeth on the shaft, and a handle variety lever connected fixedly to the gear element and adapted to rotate said element about its horizontal axis and also to swing laterally therewith.

3. Mechanism designed for use with a bottom tap foundry ladle of the type that embodies an open top shell with a tap hole in its bottom and an upstanding vertically movable tap rod for controlling the tap hole, adapted to raise and lower the tap rod with respect to the hole, and comprising a pair of vertically spaced apart bearings directly outwards of the side wall of the shell, a vertically extending shaft mounted in the bearing to slide vertically without rotation about its axis, having the upper end thereof fixedly connected to the upper end of the tap rod, and provided between the bearings with a longitudinal series of equidistantly spaced arcuate teeth, a sleeve disposed between said bearings, extending around, and rotatable with respect to, the shaft, and provided with a slot for exposing the teeth, a gear element carried by the sleeve to rotate about a horizontal axis, having the teeth thereof extending through the slot into mesh with the teeth on the shaft, and adapted in connection with rotation of said sleeve to swing bodily and laterally into different angular positions about the axis of the shaft while maintaining its teeth in mesh with said teeth on the shaft, and a handle variety lever connected fixedly to, and projecting outwards from, the gear element and adapted to rotate said element about its horizontal axis and also to swing laterally therewith.

an upstanding vertically movable tap rod for controlling the tap hole, adapted to raise and lower the tap rod with respect to the hole, and comprising a pair of vertically spaced apart bearings directly outwards of the side wall of the shell, a vertical shaft mounted in the bearings to slide vertically without rotation about its axis, having the upper end thereof fixedly connected to the upper end of the tap rod, and provided 4. Mechanism designed for use with a bottom tap foundry ladle of the type that embodies an open top shell with a tap hole in its bottom and between the bearings with a longitudinal series of equidistantly spaced annular teeth, a sleeve disposed between said bearings, extending around, and rotatable with respect to, the shaft, and provided with a slot for exposing said teeth, a flat gear sector carried by the sleeve to rotate about a horizontal axis, having the teeth thereof extending through the slot into mesh with the teeth on the shaft, and adapted in connection with rotation of said sleeve to swing bodily and laterally into different angular positions about the axis of the shaft while maintaining its teeth in mesh with said teeth on the shaft, a handle variety lever connected fixedly to, and projecting outwards from, the gear sector, disposed in the same plane as the gear sector and adapted to rotate said sector about its horizontal axis and also to swing laterally therewith, and a latch adapted releasably to lock the sleeve, gear sector and lever into the various angular positions into which they are swung and consisting of a latch dog mounted pivotally on the upper bearing and a notched latch plate mounted fixedly on the upper end of said sleeve.

WESLEY W. REED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,076,475 Matta Apr. 6, 1937 2,087,563 Wallace July 20, 1937 2,223,062 Edgar Nov. 26, 1940 

